Patents Assigned to Align Technology, Inc.
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Patent number: 11744678Abstract: A series of appliances including a first shell and a second shell can be designed to incrementally implement a treatment plan. The first and second shells can have cavities designed to receive teeth of a jaw. The first shell can be designed to interface with a first surface of a plurality of surfaces of an attachment structure to provide a first engagement force specific to a first stage of the treatment plan. The second shell can be designed to interface with a second surface of the plurality of surfaces of the attachment structure attached to the at least one tooth of the first jaw to provide a second engagement force specific to a second stage of the treatment plan.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2022Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventor: Peter Webber
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Patent number: 11737852Abstract: A computer-implemented method for modeling a complete tooth of a patient to facilitate dental and/or orthodontic treatment. The method includes generating a first set of digital data representing a clinical crown; generating a second set of digital data representing a plurality of digital tooth models of a particular tooth type each having a first parameterization; processing the second set of digital data to obtain a third set of digital data representing an average tooth model of the particular tooth type having a second parameterization which is less than the first parameterization; fitting the third set of digital data to the first set of digital data to create a set of digital data representing an interim tooth model; and morphing the set of digital data representing the interim tooth model to substantially mimic the anatomical shape of the clinical crown of the first set of digital data.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2022Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Fedor Chelnokov, Roman A. Roschin, Petr Ushanov
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Patent number: 11737853Abstract: Described herein are methods and apparatuses to obtain an image, or a set of images, of a patient's teeth from one or more predetermined viewing angles. These methods and apparatuses may include the use an overlay comprising an outline of teeth for each predetermined viewing angle. The overlay may be used for automatically capturing, focusing and/or illuminating the teeth. Also described herein are methods and apparatuses for using a series of images of the patient's teeth including a set of predetermined views to determine if a patient is a candidate for an orthopedic procedure.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2023Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Maurice K. Carrier, Jr., Phillip Thomas Harris, Sergey Vinnichenko, Samuel Blanco, Aleksandr Sergeevich Karsakov, Sebastien Hareng, Leon Rasovsky
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Patent number: 11737657Abstract: Apparatuses, including sleeves, intraoral scanning systems to use these sleeves, and methods of using the sleeve, that authenticate the sleeve for use with an intraoral scanning system. Authentication may include verifying that the sleeve is new (unused) and/or verifying that the sleeve is appropriate and/or intended for use with the intraoral scanning system. Once authenticated, operation parameters of the intraoral scanning system can be automatically set based on information from a scanned identifier on the sleeve.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2022Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Avi Kopelman, Michael Sabina, Nir Makmel, Adi Levin, Arad Zulti, Arthur Hsieh
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Patent number: 11730574Abstract: Methods and systems for post-processing molds are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes using a layer-by-layer build process on a polymeric resin to produce a plurality of aligner molds. The method can include transporting the plurality of aligner molds to a resin removal station. The method can also include applying high pressure air to the plurality of aligner molds to remove residual material from the plurality of aligner molds. The residual material can include excess polymeric resin. The method can further include collecting the excess polymeric resin.Type: GrantFiled: October 13, 2022Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Srinivas Kaza, Shiva P. Sambu, Kamesh Tata, Michael J. Doung, Long Phan
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Patent number: 11730569Abstract: A system includes a memory and a processing device operatively coupled to the memory. The processing device generates one or more parametric functions associated with tooth color based on color data for teeth from a first image, wherein each of the one or more parametric functions comprises a first variable for a first image axis and a second variable for a second image axis. The processing device receives image data comprising new contours of the mouth, wherein one or more of the teeth have a different position in the image data than in the first image. The processing device generates a new image based on the image data and the one or more parametric functions, wherein a shape of the teeth is based on the image data and a color of the teeth is based on applying the one or more parametric functions to the image data.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2022Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Christopher E. Cramer, Chad Clayton Brown
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Patent number: 11723748Abstract: Provided herein are systems and methods for optimizing a 3D model of an individual's teeth. A 3D dental model may be reconstructed from 3D parameters. A differentiable renderer may be used to derive a 2D rendering of the individual's dentition. 2D image(s) of an individual's dentition may be obtained, and features may be extracted from the 2D image(s). Image loss between the 2D rendering and the 2D image(s) can be derived, and back-propagation from the image loss can be used to calculate gradients of the loss to optimize the 3D parameters. A machine learning model can also be trained to predict a 3D dental model from 2D images of an individual's dentition.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 2020Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Guotu Li, Christopher E. Cramer
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Patent number: 11723758Abstract: A processing device receives images of an oral cavity of a patient generated by an intraoral scanner and subsequently receives an additional image of the oral cavity of the patient. The processing device makes a comparison between the additional image and the previously received images and determines an amount of overlap between the additional image and at least one of the previously received images based on the comparison. The processing device displays image data from at least one of a) the images or b) the additional image. The processing device determines whether or not the amount of overlap meets or exceeds an overlap threshold, and displays one or more visual indicators based on whether or not the amount of overlap meets or exceeds the overlap threshold, wherein the one or more visual indicators indicate whether or not the amount of overlap meets or exceeds the overlap threshold.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2022Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventor: Adi Levin
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Patent number: 11727607Abstract: A method includes determining depth values associated with a first set of pixel locations in a first image of a mouth. One or more function is generated for one or more color channels based on intensities of the one or more color channels at the first set of pixel locations and depth values associated with the first set of pixel locations. Image data comprising a new representation of the teeth is received, wherein the image data comprises a second set of pixel locations and new depth values associated with the second set of pixel locations. A new image is generated based on the image data and the one or more functions.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2021Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Yun Gao, Yingjie Li, Chao Shi
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Patent number: 11723749Abstract: The current document is directed to methods and systems for monitoring a dental patient's progress during a course of treatment. A three-dimensional model of the expected positions of the patient's teeth can be projected, in time, from a three-dimensional model of the patient's teeth prepared prior to beginning the treatment. A digital camera is used to take one or more two-dimensional photographs of the patient's teeth, which are input to a monitoring system. The monitoring system determines virtual-camera parameters for each two-dimensional input image with respect to the time-projected three-dimensional model, uses the determined virtual-camera parameters to generate two-dimensional images from the three-dimensional model, and then compares each input photograph to the corresponding generated two-dimensional image in order to determine how closely the three-dimensional arrangement of the patient's teeth corresponds to the time-projected three-dimensional arrangement.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2021Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Artem Borovinskih, Mitra Derakhshan, Carina Morik, Eric Meyer, Ekaterina Tolstaya, Yury Brailov
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Patent number: 11717380Abstract: A method may include: receiving an image of a mouth region of a patient's face; extracting teeth contours within the image of the mouth region of the patient's face; locating a mouth opening within the image of the mouth region of the patient's face; extracting the tooth contours from a 3D model of the patient's teeth; and aligning the tooth contours from the 3D model with the tooth contours of the teeth within the image of the mouth region of the patient's face.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2020Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Pavel Pokotilov, Dmitry Yurievich Chekh, Dmitriy Konstantinovich Ten, Samuel Blanco, David Patrick Lopes, Jason Ramos, Rene M. Sterental, Evgenii Vladimirovich Karnygin, Vladislav Andreevich Miryaha, Boris Aleksandrovich Vysokanov, Yury A. Brailov, Artem Kuanbekov
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Patent number: 11718019Abstract: A 3D printer comprises a platform, a dispenser and a light source. A heating element heats a material and a nozzle extrudes the heated material onto the platform to form a first layer, having a first shape specified by one or more digital files. The first shape corresponds to a first minimum line width based on a diameter of the nozzle. The light source emits a light beam that is directed onto the first layer according to the one or more digital files to cure a portion of the first layer to create a first cured layer that corresponds to a second shape of a 3D object specified by the one or more digital files. The light beam has a beam diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the nozzle, and the second shape has a second minimum line width that is smaller than the first minimum line width.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2022Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Mehdi Mojdeh, Michael Christopher Cole, Peter Dorfinger, Shiva P. Sambu
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Patent number: 11717384Abstract: Embodiments include dental appliances, dental appliance systems, and methods of making and using such appliances. In one embodiment, a dental appliance to implement a stage of a treatment plan includes a number of tooth-receiving cavities configured to receive and resiliently reposition teeth on a first jaw from a first arrangement toward a second arrangement and at least one tab. The at least one tab can include a mesial end coupled to at least one of the number of tooth receiving cavities, a distal end defining a distal end of the dental appliance, an exterior surface configured to mate with an opposing dental appliance on a second jaw or an opposing tooth on the second jaw, the second jaw opposing the first jaw, and an interior surface opposite to the exterior surface, the interior surface configured to receive a coronal surface of an erupting tooth and manage eruption of the erupting tooth during the stage of the treatment plan.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2018Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Jon F. Moss, Rene M. Sterental
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Patent number: 11721417Abstract: An example method of managing medical records using multi-dimensional cryptographically-secured datastores comprises: storing digital representations of dental anatomy utilizing a two-dimensional blockchain structure includes: causing, by a computer system, a digital representation of dental anatomy to be stored at an external storage location; appending, to a first data block of an auxiliary blockchain, an identifier of the external storage location; appending, to a current data block of a main blockchain, a reference to a first data block of the auxiliary blockchain; appending, to the current data block of the main blockchain, a data item of the digital representation of dental anatomy; appending, to the current data block of the main blockchain, a reference to a preceding data block of the main blockchain; and broadcasting the current data block of the main blockchain to a plurality of blockchain nodes.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2019Date of Patent: August 8, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Sreelakshmi Kolli, Leon Rasovsky
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Patent number: 11712164Abstract: An intraoral scanner comprises a light source, a moveable opto-mechanical module, an axial actuator, and an image sensor. The light source is configured to generate light that is to be output onto an object external to the intraoral scanner. The moveable opto-mechanical module comprises integrated projection/imaging optics and an exit pupil, the projection/imaging optics having an optical axis, wherein the projection/imaging optics are entirely integrated into the moveable opto-mechanical module. The axial actuator is coupled to the projection/imaging optics and configured to move the moveable opto-mechanical module comprising an entirety of the projection/imaging optics in the optical axis to achieve a plurality of focus settings. The image sensor is configured to receive reflected light that has been reflected off of the object external to the intraoral scanner for the plurality of focus settings.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2022Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Yossef Atiya, Tal Verker
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Patent number: 11714398Abstract: The example systems, methods, and/or computer-readable media described herein help with design of highly accurate models of un-erupted or partially erupted teeth and help fabricate of aligners for un-erupted or partially erupted teeth. Automated agents that use machine learning models to parametrically represent three-dimensional (3d) virtual representations of teeth as 3D descriptors in a 3D descriptor space are provided herein. In some implementations, the automated agents described herein provide instructions to fabricate aligners for at least partially un-erupted teeth using representative 3D descriptor(s) of a tooth type.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2021Date of Patent: August 1, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Christopher Eric Cramer, Jeeyoung Choi
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Patent number: 11707344Abstract: Methods and systems for improving segmentation of a digital model of a patient's dentition into component teeth.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2020Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Roman A. Roschin, Evgenii Vladimirovich Karnygin, Sergey Grebenkin, Dmitry Guskov, Dmitrii Ischeykin, Ivan Potapenko, Denis Durdin, Roman Gudchenko, Vasily Paraketsov, Mikhail Gorodilov, Roman Solovyev, Alexey Vladykin, Alexander Beliaev, Alexander Vovchenko
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Patent number: 11707238Abstract: Provided herein are devices and methods generating a panoramic rendering of a subject's teeth. Methods and processes are provided to image the subject's teeth with a dental scan. Methods and processes are also provided to automatically 3D render the subject's teeth with the scan images. Methods and apparatuses are also provided to generate simulated panoramic views of the subject's dentition from various perspectives.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2020Date of Patent: July 25, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Maayan Moshe, Shai Ayal, Jonathan Coslovsky, Adi Levin, Avraham Zulti, Shai Farkash
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Patent number: 11704876Abstract: A mobile computing device comprises an AR display, an image capture device that generates image data of a face of a viewer of the AR display, and a processing device. The processing device receives the image data; processes the image data to identify a position of a dental arch in the image data; determines a treatment outcome for the dental arch; generates a post-treatment image of the dental arch that shows the treatment outcome; generates updated image data comprising a superimposition of the post-treatment image of the dental arch over the received image data depicting the face of the viewer; and outputs the updated image data to the AR display, wherein the post-treatment image of the dental arch is superimposed over the dental arch in the received image data such that the post-treatment image is visible in the AR display rather than a true depiction of the dental arch.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2021Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Pavel Pokotilov, Anton Lapshin, Evgeniy Malashkin, Sergei Ozerov, Yury Slynko, Andrey Sergeevich Nekrasov, Leonid Vyacheslavovich Grechishnikov, Anna Orlova, Yingjie Li, Phillip Thomas Harris, Maurice K. Carrier
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Patent number: RE49605Abstract: A processing device receives an intraoral image of a first intraoral site and determines an identity of the first intraoral site. The processing device then locks the intraoral image and selects a portion of the intraoral image depicting a portion of the first intraoral site based at least in part on the identity of the first intraoral site. The processing device may then generate a model comprising the first intraoral site based at least in part on the locked intraoral image, wherein the portion of the locked intraoral image is used for a first region of the model, and wherein data from one or more additional intraoral images that also depict the portion of the first intraoral site is not used for the first region of the model.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2020Date of Patent: August 15, 2023Assignee: Align Technology, Inc.Inventors: Avi Kopelman, Michael Sabina